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1989 V(K?) 3500 dually crew cab 4x4 w/454 mpg?

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deadeye

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Palmetto, FL
I know this has been asked and discussed but I could not find a thread on the 3500 series discussing mpg. It checked my mpg last night on small city and highway runs and I got 6.2 mpg. I thought I had 8.4 before. So, I thought I would throw it out here and see what yawl are getting.
 
deadeye said:
I know this has been asked and discussed but I could not find a thread on the 3500 series discussing mpg. It checked my mpg last night on small city and highway runs and I got 6.2 mpg. I thought I had 8.4 before. So, I thought I would throw it out here and see what yawl are getting.
Click to expand...

Wow. That kind of sucks! I usually get around 8MPG around town in my 90 V3500. I've got a TBI454/SM465 with 4:10 gears (or 4:11, i'm not sure). I just got back from a 2000 mile trip so most of it was interstate driving at 80 mph, but I got 10MPG there (right to the exact mile too).

I can't wait to get on my diesel swap! I'm starting to think that running biodiesel is the way to go. If I can get close to 15-20MPG and it would take less than $1 a gallon to process. Hell, it'd be cheaper to drive my crew cab 4wd dually than my V-Rod. (It gets 40-50MPG, but I've got to burn 91 oct.)
 
Tires may be the difference, I just put on traceforce AT, which stand about 30" tall and have a lot more meat on them than the old ones.
 
I get around 8 and around 6 towing. On a 89 V3500 SRW TBI 454. Tires make a difference I bet with a tune up and some street tires I could get 10. 15" wide swampers don't help:crazy:
 
I have BFG Mud Ts right now, so they're not exactly a "street" tire.
 
I recalculated and I see that I got 6.8 on the highway. Going on a 400 mile round trip of which 300 will be highway, so I can get a better caclulation then. I may have someone look at it though, I would like to try and get as close to 10 as possible.

MT Blazer89, can I get a cod e cipher?
1989 V3500 TBI 454/TH400/205/14BFF/D60 6" suspension 33's
What is:
TBI
TH400
205
14BFF
And do you have a picture? How wide are the 33s? I've looked at spacers between the back rims to get the width, but that is much later.
 
MT Blazer89, can I get a cod e cipher?
1989 V3500 TBI 454/TH400/205/14BFF/D60 6" suspension 33's
What is:
TBI
TH400
205
14BFF
And do you have a picture? How wide are the 33s? I've looked at spacers between the back rims to get the width, but that is much later.
Click to expand...

TBI is throttle body injection
TH400 is the trans Turbohydromatic 400
205 is the Transfer case NP 205
14BFF is the full floating 14 bolt rear axle 10.5" ring gear.

My 33's are 14.50 wide on 12" wide weld wheels.

The turning radius on these trucks sucks bad enough. Spacers on the rear wheels will make it even worse.

Here is a pic. I don't know if you can see it or not.

111_1183.JPG



111_1185.JPG
 
Found under the air cleaner some vacuum lines that are bad, and there is an elect. harness wit h1 brkn and 2 bad wires, the coating is melted off, so this might be a big reason for my 6 mpg?? I'm gong to replace the vac lines right now, but the elect harness wires may have to wait till after the trip.
 
Thanks taking the time for the cipher MT, and the pics, I can see them fine. I like the 14BFF, need to find out what I actually have, did you convert to the 14BFF?

I know I have the TBI is throttle body injection, but the rest I need to find out what I have or do not.

I just spent 1850 on tires and suspension fixes like that long tie rod 'shaft' that runs from one side to the other, but I REALLY was torn because I wanted to do a small. I did not, so this is nice to see what it may have looked like.

I read about the spacer making the turn rad even worse, and it was not just a little worse. So, I was thinking next time after I wear some of these thread down, to do what you did, I like it, put 14.50 wide on 12" on the front and thinner 33s on the back, but I may need a bit of a spacer to get them on, anyways that will be a while off. I hate pizza cutters for tires, but if I have two pizza cutters o nteh back it will not be so bad. One problem may be finding 10 ply 33 tires.

BTW, I found that the wires are not a plug-in, they had a strange wire cover that made it look like a plug, so I can repair all the wires now.
 
No problem. If your truck has dual rear wheels it has a Dana 70 rear instead of a 14 bolt. Very comparable axle strength wise each has their pros and cons.

All of the drivetrain in mine is stock 1 ton stuff.

If yours is a dually you really aren't going to get the tires to set like mine unless you run a wheel with about 7 inches of backspacing like the H1's, but thats a whole different story and not really a "how they look" upgrade. The other option is to convert it to a single rear wheel.

aramp1 has a dually maybe he'll post a pic.

nevermind found one in his gallery

25533DSC02094.JPG
 
Hmm, my reply to my reply to my reply, sorry folks!!

Ok, rats were living in the truck, found their droppings on the intake. The wires and some of the vac lines were chewed thru not melted like I originally thought. It sat in my field for about 6 mo w/o any attention from me due to its bad front end. So, I replaced and spliced and the truck runs MUCH better than it did when I bought it about a yr ago, so the vac lines may have been disconnected for some time.

Now I’m really looking forward to my trip tomorrow and the recalculation of the mpg.
 
This is great MT, I need to hi refresh before I go to reply, lesson learned!

aramp1's does look like mine, but I have a Cheyenne, and I think that is a Silverado, only difference is the grill and headlights, but everything is the same, white and crew cab too. I will not change the dually to a single, I like the lb with the dually and this will be my big toy hauler.

Thanks for the info on the Dana 70, so my drive train may be the same FF too and that in very encouraging!
 
Yes everything in these trucks is basicly the strongest components GM ever put in their light trucks. You'll be fine drivetrain wise.:wink1:
 
I have a distinct memory of a night back in 84. I was fresh out of the Navy, I looked at your profile and yer in the Nav right? I was in a gas station back home and I was talking to a beautiful brunette. It was looking like I was going to get her phone number when a black Chevy dually with an extended cab pulled up behind her. It was the first time I had seen a dually and I fell in love. I was so distracted that the girl started getting pissed until she turned around to see what was distracting me and saw what was looking at. Well, she got real pissed at me and I never got her number. :crazy:

It’s a shame that it took me 22 yrs to get a dually, but I did not just want any dually, I wanted a 1 ton 4x4 Chevy dually with an extended cab, and as you know they are costly. Also as you know, you do not know what you get until you get in and under the vehicle and start learning.

So, thank you for helping my learning curve out and validating that I was right in falling in love with the truck and not the girl, these are one of the best trucks built and girls have come and gone since 84.:haha:
 
I got 8.7 to 7.7 depending on how much I romped into the gas, which I did a bit, so I'm happy. The truck performed WELL beyond my hopes this weekend. On and off the road. I got my left rear 2 tires stuck in sugar sand. But, I popped it into 4 lo and it pulled the truck and the trailer up and out w/o straining very hard. I was very impressed and re assured that this is the truck I wanted.

Thanks for everyone’s help
 
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